An Interior Ministry official in Iraq stated that at least 41 people were killed and 106 wounded after a woman decided to commit suicide and blow herself up in the middle of a congregation of Shia pilgrims who were located in Baghdad. The pilgrims started their journey where they wanted to walk from Baghdad to Karbala in order to observe the Arba’in rituals. They stopped at a food tent which was set up for the pilgrims visiting Karbala.

The official stated: “At 11:45 (8:45 GMT) a woman wearing an explosives-filled belt blew herself up in the middle of a crowd of visitors of Karbala.”

Millions of people visit Karbala to commemorate the fortieth day after Imam Hussayn (a) was martyred along with his companions and family members on the hot sands of this city – which was a mere desert at the time. Imam Hussayn is the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (s) and rose up to reform the Islamic Nation which deviated due to the ill management of Mu’awiyah bin Abi Sufyan and his son Yazid.